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Kids' medical emergencies (and schools)

Hitting two topics in one post. I think this is worthwhile information, and I'm taking a risk in posting the second item. But what are they gonna do? First: This because of a recent problem that a much younger friend ran into last week. She was visiting friends an hour's drive from home when a fierce snow and wind storm hit. (Obviously, not in BC.) It would have been wiser and easier for her to stay overnight with the friends than to risk the road, especially since she was driving a loaner vehicle while her four wheel drive was in the shop.

Married to a guy who has children from a previous marriage, who are often with them and she had them with her. One of them, aged seven, has a serious heart condition. As in, serious to the point that it's known and accepted that the child will not survive to become a teenager without a heart transplant. Even that may not work because of other related problems.

This child has "emergency" meds which are very, very rarely required. However, my friend did not have a supply of them with her. The child's father and mother haven't carried them either, in the past. That's surprising. So my friend was simply doing what Dad and "First Mom" do (or don't do.) But from now on, they certainly will. Rather than take any chances, my friend did "the drive through hell" to get the child home, just in case her meds might be required. She realizes now, and so do the child's father and mother, that the meds should always be right with the kid at all times, or at least enough of them to handle a crisis.

Second: I'll be shot for posting the following, but I think parents have the right to know: Never absolutely trust that in a school, particularly a secondary school, where kids travel from teacher to teacher, that each teacher will even know that your child has a serious medical condition. Schools are supposed to ensure that every teacher knows. Sometimes, this does not happen. I've dealt with a kid with a seizure disorder, not having a clue that the teen suffered from the disorder. No one told me. Same thing when a teen went into diabetic shock (denial, sweating, frantic behaviour, aggressive, combative). I would not have known if his best buddy from elementary school (and by this time they were in Grade 10) told me what was happening. Another, an adopted child, repeatedly "acted out". I treated him the way I would have with any other who behaved that way. Until the day another student slipped me the info that he was a "coke baby", born addicted to an addicted mother, apprehended at birth by Ministry of Families and Children and successfully adopted. But with damage sufficient that there was no predicting when he might "fly off the handle" severely. No one told me. I felt guilty as hell, but I didn't know. After that, sure, the behaviour continued, but I handled it in a different way. I finally "got it."

I should probably post this just before school starts up again in September, but please, please, make sure that your child's teacher or teachers know about these problems. I'm not going to wander into the reasons why I'm giving this advice, but if I were the parent of a child with a problem, I'd write a letter and mail it to the teacher, or teachers, at the school. Individually. And do it every year.

Im allergic to penicillin so i have one of these bracelets... haha im also allergic to the type of metal its made out of so i could never wear it and there was no way that my parents were going to buy gold alert bracelets... luckily im not deathly allergic, just allergic enough to hate life for a couple days if given to me (im sure it could be life threatening if i continued to take more than one dose of penicillin but ive never wanted to try :P ).

my best friend is allergic to bees... she carries three epi-pens with her everywhere she goes.. call her crazy for being over prepared, but you never know what could happen? or whom else may need it other than yourself.

Im allergic to penicillin so i have one of these bracelets... haha im also allergic to the type of metal its made out of so i could never wear it and there was no way that my parents were going to buy gold alert bracelets... luckily im not deathly allergic, just allergic enough to hate life for a couple days if given to me (im sure it could be life threatening if i continued to take more than one dose of penicillin but ive never wanted to try :P ).

my best friend is allergic to bees... she carries three epi-pens with her everywhere she goes.. call her crazy for being over prepared, but you never know what could happen? or whom else may need it other than yourself.

It's possible, but it would be darned hard to do, that you could paint the whole bracelet with clear nail polish. I've had friends do that with the posts on earrings because they were allergic to the metal. But getting all of those links covered and keeping them covered with nail polish would be a never-ending job. Or could you maybe take the MedicAlert disc off the chain bracelet part, cover the disck itself with clear nail polish, and put it on something else around your wrist?

It might be an idea, the next time you see your doctor, to see if you could have it put on your record at NRGH (if you've ever been there) that you're allergic to penicillin. And double-check that it's in your file at your doctor's office.

I know that it's in my records at NRGH that I don't get any blood thinners or anything containing aspirin. The last time I was in there they slapped an extra bracelet on me about the "blood doesn't clot" problem, but I'm darned if I can remember what colour it was. It might be a good idea to get yourself into the position with NRGH that they've got it recorded.

i have to coat all my buttons, belt buckles, bra straps, earrings, necklaces, you name it with clear nailpolish. it works pretty well but not so much for jewellery.. you have to redo it every three days or so.. i find the nailpolish with light glitter in it lasts longer. i cant stand being allergic to metals, its so annoying and absolutely nothing you can do about it. lol . I kinda wish i could create an earring with it or something...

my medical file has huge alerts all over it saying im allergic to it... you'd be amazed at how many medical staff DO NOT look at my file... they usually just fill in why you're there or what you're in for... they never seem to read (its kinda like calling telus :P ). I dont know if its just me or if other people have this issue, but i try to self medicate before i go see a doctor.. too many horrible experiences .

i have to coat all my buttons, belt buckles, bra straps, earrings, necklaces, you name it with clear nailpolish. it works pretty well but not so much for jewellery.. you have to redo it every three days or so.. i find the nailpolish with light glitter in it lasts longer. i cant stand being allergic to metals, its so annoying and absolutely nothing you can do about it. lol . I kinda wish i could create an earring with it or something...

my medical file has huge alerts all over it saying im allergic to it... you'd be amazed at how many medical staff DO NOT look at my file... they usually just fill in why you're there or what you're in for... they never seem to read (its kinda like calling telus :P ). I dont know if its just me or if other people have this issue, but i try to self medicate before i go see a doctor.. too many horrible experiences .

Good Lord, that's bad! I was going to kid you that maybe you could have a tattoo put on whichever wrist it is that they usually use to take your pulse, but that wouldn't work either. You'd be allergic to the tat needles.

And I thought that the kid I once taught who was actually allergic to his own sweat had problems. That's nothing compared to yours. I was just a touch skeptical about this boy's allergy until one day when I saw him break a sweat. Unreal. Everywhere he was sweating, he developed hives and welts. That was almost forty years ago. I hope they've developed something to help him.

A lot of people seem to think that just because a good system is in place with people with good intentions involved in it that things will always work. I've yet to see anything in life that works 100% of the time! (Actually, my heart would be an exception to that... so far.) Ultimately, even though someone else is looking after things it doesn't mean that we can let our guard down and not be diligent. Most people get this, but I am always puzzled by the ones who freak out loudly when they find evidence of systems not working 100%.